DarkTrain – Jekyll and Hyde

Using an impressive combination of hard-hitting drums and washy, reverb-infused instruments on their song ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, DarkTrain manages to place us in an environment that feels euphoric, and yet beautifully melancholic. The song stays very true to its name throughout, opening with a sudden, powerful kick that’s heavily contrasted by soothing pads, sparking a very natural, blissful space. The introduction of vocals on ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ proceed to fill that space with a striking, simple tone and elegant melody that seems to glide above the gritty kick drum, before throwing you out of its element with hard hitting, heavily 80’s inspired toms that aggressively dance between your ears. Just when the song seems most moving, the vocals trail into a loving crash, in combination with a final kick and a steadily pulsating bass, followed with an intense, thought-provoking environment, led by synthetic violins and glittering reverberation. I found myself relaxing before being excitingly thrown back to reality by the reintroduction of the 4/4 kick drum and some very interesting, rhythmic sampling of the vocals. It’s moments like these, in which ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ entices you, with its soft, perfectly intertwined reverberation, before throwing you off balance with its unexpected and exciting crescendos and it’s what makes the song so interesting. It paints an exciting mental picture that can be enjoyed over and over again.